Being Happy!

Chalk wall downtown.

The mother of all sunflowers.

Quilt museum!

Joshua, the cutest little boy who gives us big fat kisses on our cheeks, I love him.

The mother of all sunflowers.

email 8.26.13

Mi Familia-

This week has been awesome.  First of all, mom, thank you for your letter, it was exactly what I needed.  I needed to be reminded of what is really important to me, and what I am doing here!  It is crazy how easy it is to forget, but such is life.  Things have been getting better with my companions, its still not easy, but I just always have to remember that I am choosing to be happy.  Its crazy because being on my mission, I have given the Lord 100 percent control over everything in my life.  Where I am, the language I am speaking, which area, which companions, everything.  And because all of these things are done through revelation I know that Heavenly Father wants me where I am right now.  I figure that everything he does is to isolate certain trials and things that I need to work on and through.  In the blessing that I got last sunday he told me that every trial I have on my mission is to prepare me for a trial that I will have later in my life.  So I have decided to take this opportunity and learn what I can through every step.  

First of all your summer is sounding like so much fun.  You guys really know how to party.  I wish I could be there for all the traveling and packing, and moving, it all sounds like the best of times.  And yes, the Johnsons are the very best, I don't know where you found them, but they are keepers.  And Liz is a keeper too, I think about her when I think about how happy I want to make myself.  She is the best.  

Mom, that sounds awesome about the sister missionaries challenge.  We havent had any instruction on anything of the sort, but I agree I think it is an awesome idea.  Not enough people even know who we are and what we are about!  But you should totally post things for your calling and BYU, and just your life.  Speaking of your calling, I need an idea for a relief society activity.  We are trying to get the women more excited about visiting teaching, because they dont do it.  We want to have an activity about how easy it is and also a get to know you, because none of them are really united.  Any ideas of how we can accomplish that?  

This week I have been studying about feeling the spirit.  As a missionary I am feeling the spirit 24/7, which I think raises the bar for really feeling it...if that makes an sense.  But its almost like I was starting to take it for granted.  I was especially studying about the different ways that we as humans can feel the spirit.  I made a lovely connection!  So I have been realizing that almost all the time in the Book of Mormon when they talk about feeling the spirit, they talk about having joy.  Silly me, how could I have overlooked that, I know that when I don't feel the spirit, I am not happy.  I don't know if we really focus on this as much, that the spirit can be manifest though happiness.  In Mosiah 18:10,11, it talks about when Alma baptized his people and he says that they had the spirit more abundantly.  The next verse says that they clapped their hands with joy.  They had joy because they knew of the blessings that were going to come.  I love the Book of Mormon.  

This week we have been so happy as a companionship.  We have had some good adventures.  On Saturday we accidentally locked our keys in the church, so we walked for a couple of hours, which is always exciting.  We also found a sunflower that was three times the size of my head, so there is nothing better than that!  We found some good potential investigators, and even sang a little.  Also we have continued preparing Darlin and Yuleli for the baptism, and they are so ready, and excited.  The baptism is on Saturday so I will send pictures next week!  Transfer calls are tomorrow, which is scary, but I don't think I will be moved, but who really knows, it could be time to learn something else!  Either way people will be getting moved around so something will be different, which is kind of exciting.  Also this week I have just given in and starting playing with the kids more, they like me better anyways.  Also I can understand the spanish that they speak, so that is always fun!  Also they love the stickers, and I am the favorite missionary in the branch all because of them!  

I love being a missionary, I love my Heavenly Father, and I love this gospel. I know that it is true with all my heart!  I am so excited for everything that lies ahead, I am starting to get a feel for what I am doing around here, what I have to offer, and I know it is not very much, but I am giving it all I have!  I love you very much, thank you for being the best ever!  

xoxo Hermana Myer

FOOD

These are all of the little girls, we had too much fun.

Hermana Betty came knocking doors with us in a little trailer park. She is in our ward and the best missionary we have. She always invites everyone is knows to church, she is the best.

This is Mia, she is a friend of the Chavez girls, she is so fun and funny and always comes over for our lessons!

email 8.19.13

My dearest family!

It has been quite the week!  I did get the package!  Thank you so so so much, it was perfect and thank Julie for the earrings!  Also the two CD's that I wanted, one is called The Work, and the other The Joseph Smith Tribute, are both by a band called the Nashville Tribute Band, so if you wouldn't mind looking for them again that would be the best!  

You lives sound crazy, but fun.  I am feeling really good about the move for Alyse and Chad, a little change does everyone good!  Plus you guys will have the best of times packing and playing and whatnot.  Kenna goes to school so soon!!! I am so excited for her!  You are going to have the best time every!  

Mom!  You went out with the sister missionaries and Sharon, double Wammy, I love all of those things so much.  Maybe you can imagine a little what I am doing out here!  That is the best, thanks for helping them get a member present lesson, that is always prime.  Please send me pictures of the Sharon's baby shenanigans, that sounds like a hoot.  

I am glad Kendall got there safely, I keep praying for him that he may by some miracle understand anything anyone says.  But the gift of tongues is very real and I know he is going to be just great!

Last p-day we went to Waynesboro to hang out with the sisters there and also see some of our less actives/references that live down there.  We had all kinds of fun, we actually got to hang out with other missionaries, because in Harrisonburg we only have Elders and we are not allowed to see them ever, except church and district meeting.  Anywho, we had a wee of a time.  On Tuesday we went to the dentist appointment, and it went swimmingly.  Jenny did send the information to them, and I did have 2 cavities, huzzah!  But the man was really nice he runs his practice with his son and son-in-law and they are all members.  He said he was going to run the insurance, but there wouldn't be any extra charge.  Miracle #1.  After that we went to Applebee's for lunch, turns out our waitress was a less active member, and she paid for our lunch.  Miracle #2.  We also met with the Stake Relief Society President to get some help putting our Relief Society together, she was the nicest most friendly/helpful ever.  It made me feel at home, also she gave us a watermelon and a left over pizza.  Miracle #3.  After that we had a couple of lessons and then we were planning on heading back to Harrisonburg, but we couldn't find our phone anywhere.  So then we searched all over Waynesboro, retracing every step, and we found it just lying on the ground in a trailer park.  Miracle #4.  This was about an hour detour, but such is life.  As God would have it two seconds after we picked the phone off the ground one of the less actives that lives in Waynesboro called us back and wanted us to visit him, if we hadn't had lost the phone we wouldn't have still been in Waynesboro.  Miracle #5.  I was astounded.  I think that Heavenly Father was trying to tell us that he is watching our for us, even if things are rocky.  It was the best.  I just realized how much food was involved in all those miracles, which is funny, but real.  

Actually this week more than ever we have been eating unreal amounts of food.  In our apartment we just have the normal stuff, which is always good.  But investigators and members just keep stuffing us full.  Now that I think about it three days this week we were feed meals back to back.  I had really bad stomach aches and lied on the floor during nightly planning.  But President Wilson told us that there are two things to look for when deciding if investigators are interested in us and our message.  1. if they pray for/about you, 2. if they feed you.  So such is life.  Most of the food is really yummy, lots of Rice, homemade tortillas, beans, tamalies, ect.  But also A LOT of red meat, which does not agree well with me, and lots of spicy stuff.  The people sometimes make fun of you if you struggle to eat all the food they give you, and sometime I don't know what they are saying and its a little awkward...but its all good.  Last Friday at Ward Coordination the Ward Mission Leaders wife made us toastadas, but they had giant pieces of Jalapenos on them, after I had like two bites I was sweating, it was bad.  But them Elder Burbank saved the day and sneaked all my Jalapenos off my plate and onto his, what a giver.  Sometimes we have to help each other out in this manner.  

We also had a new missionary meeting this week which was awesome.  We had a debrief where the trainees and trainers talked about each other and whatnot, but the best part was I got to see my Hermana Rosen, it was the best.  It is good to have a familiar face and someone who will just scratch your back.  I also saw my sweet Hermana Wilkins from the MTC, she is just a ball of sunshine and so funny, I got to sit with her, which made me happy.  

The highlight of my week though has to be the Chavez girls, Darlin and Yulalie. They are the best ever.  This week we taught them the Doctrine of Christ, and of coarse we had to make cookies for the object lesson.  Each ingredient was a step, faith, repentance, etc.  It was so  much fun, those girls are the best.  They have such simple faith and they want to do what is right, I wish everyone in the world could have their attitudes.  Also they are set for their baptism date and I couldn't be happier.  They are getting baptized on August 31st!!!!!  It is going to be so great, we are hoping it will amp up the rama a little bit!  

In answer to your question mom, yes we are exercising.  Every morning we switch off running outside and doing a work out video.  On the mornings we run it is just for 25 mins, but when we do workout videos I can go longer, and your videos are PERFECT.  Also please tell Mandy thank you for hers as well, we did it this morning and I am really feeling it already. 

I am feeling pretty good.  There are the ups and downs, and it is hard to get three very different people to work together seamlessly, but it always works out.  This past week I have been thinking a lot about having Christ as our constant companion.  Sometimes when stamina is down between us I imagine Christ is just driving around Harrisonburg sitting in the back seat, and it always makes me really happy. I know it is kind of silly, but it is real, he is literally always with us!  

Dad, this week I have also been thinking about the ability that we have to choose to be happy.  I just always remember you saying that to us when we were young, that weather or not we are happy is only up to ourselves.  I have been trying to take this words to heart and find out how I can be happy all on my own.  It is hard when I am out here, nothing and no one are familiar.  The things I would normally do to de-stress or get away from things is no longer a possibility.  But I just keep telling myself that it is up to me, and with the Lord I can do anything.  Thank you for always teaching me how to be a good human!

I love being a missionary!  Thank you for everything you do for me, every day I become more and more grateful for the things that I have been taught.  I love my savior and my Heavenly Father very much, and I know that he is working miracles through me.  It is the best feeling in the world!

xoxo, Hermana Myer

Sunflowers and Scooters

email 8.12.13

My dearest family-

I just want to start out by reminding you how much I love you.  Thank you for being the best family in the whole wide world.  Thank you for sending the package!  I haven't got it yet but I am excited!  Secondly I feel that I must share with you why Virginia is perfect.  They have sunflowers and scooters everywhere I love it.  The weather here has not been too bad.  It is humid as all get out, but its been around the 70's.  Also sometimes it randomly just pour rain, so that is fun.  Also my hair is crazy frizzy, so headscarves are a must.  

This week has been crazy, I am starting to get a feel for what missionaries actually do!  Hurray! But seriously the weirdest things happen to us all the time.  It's had to even describe, but alot of failed appointments, and just weird circumstances when we do get the opportunity to teach.  But there has also been so very many miracles, unbelievable miracles.  We have been focusing on Less actives and part member families, and have been able to start teaching some of them.  

We started teaching Darlene and Yulaylie this week and it is the best.  Kids are the best ever, they just get it.  They have simple faith and they are so fun to teach.  On Friday we taught them the plan of salvation.  When we got there they had a few little friends over playing in the front yard, so we decided that we would just teach outside and have fun.  So we moved around the front yard, the driveway was pre-earth life, the grass was earth, ect.  It was so much fun, they loved it.  We even taught them some primary songs, which they died over.  I thought about you Dad, you would have loved it.  Thanks for sharing your thoughts about Primary songs, they are so simple and perfect, keep those coming.  Anyways, they are awesome and I always look forward to our lessons.  On Saturday we were invited to Darlene's Birthday Lunch, which was one experience I will never forget.  We went to "Dragon Palace", with her whole extended family.  What could be better than a giant hispanic family, three white missionaries, and a Chinese buffet?  Nothing. It was priceless, Ill attach a picture.    

Church yesterday was awesome.  It was full again, and also I pretty much understood the whole meeting!  Hurray!  But seriously best ever.  I had a full on conversation with a member, and even talked to an investigator and set up an appointment, not to toot my own horn, but I was excited!  Also we have been working alot with our relief society, give it a face lift.  It is barely functioning, but we are getting a Visiting Teacher Coordinator and starting to get the ball rolling.  It is so fun, but sometimes I wish you could come up here mom and just train them!  

This week I have been studying about peace.  Real peace in life that can only be found through the Savior.  I have seen and heard about really hard trials that people are facing every day.  My heart aches for these people, a lot of them are far from home and most of their family, sometimes they even have kids in other countries.  Life is hard, but I have been realizing that even though these hard things are happening all around us, its okay.  We can always find peace in the Savior, and he will never leave us alone.  We have to choose to step out of the darkness and choose light, choose the Savior.  Every morning when my alarm goes off I immediately get on my knees and tell my Heavenly Father that I am going to choose light and love and Christ today, and that is the only way I can make it.  I am so grateful for my Savior and for his atoning sacrifice and unconditional love.  Helping other people see and feel that is the best job ever. 

  

I love being a missionary, it is the best times ever.  I am learning so much.  I love you all and I am grateful for you!  I will send pictures! 

xoxo Hermana Myer

Hablo Espanol

The sky is unreal here.

Fast Sunday skirt!

One of our member's dogs, Hello Thunder. He was obsessed with me, it was actually really scary.

Sad day, we left our mark, and they left theirs! Sister Olsen, just having a laugh.

email 8.5.13

My Dearest Familia-

Hola!  This week has been crazy, it has gone by so fast, and it has been the best ever.  Every day is filled with Miracles.  I don't even know where to begin.  

So I guess I will start with Erica.  On Wednesday we were out and about in the afternoon, we had had ward correlation and then we had a couple of hours before we were going to go home for dinner, but we had forgotten our area book.  It was really rainy and my comps were a little down trodden.  We were debating if we needed to go get the area book so that we could finish meeting all the members/less actives (their addresses were in there), or if we should just do some good old fashioned finding.  No one really wanted to decide, but then Hna. George just decided to follow a hispanic down a random road...I know, but guess what it works.  So we get to this apartment complex and its raining and we are all looking around for like 5 mins, and out of the blue I decided that we should knock the door with the little pink Dora chair out in front, for obvious reasons.  But my companions were not feeling it.  So we walked around for a little while and talked to some people but every other house was not hispanic and we weren't having any luck.  We were heading back to the car and we see this cute hispanic lady and her daughter outside the apartment with the chair, and the daughter was bawling.  So we head over and start chatting.  It started raining a little so she invited us in.  We ended up teaching the restoration, and it was perfect.  She was asking questions and reading and she was just golden.  Her daughter, Genesis, loved us, and we had one of the best appointments ever.  We made a follow up appointment for Friday, and we were on our way.  So there is miracle number one.  Friday comes around and we were all super excited, we get to the apartment and knock, and no one is home.  Love being a missionary.  But my sweet companion Hermana Olsen was decided that we should knock the next door neighbors door while we were over there...and to our great astonishment Erica was there!  Best ever.  So we got to teach her again, and she committed to baptism!  Miracle numero dos!  

On Saturday we did exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders, which was the best.  I got to work with Hermana Moon and she taught me how easy it is to just talk to people.  We talked to so so so many people.  We also visited the Chavez family, who are way less active.  We just wanted to meet them and see what their story was.  They have two daughters Darlene, and Yulalie, who are 11 and 9, and they were so happy that we had come because they are both dying to be baptized!  So we get to teach them this week!  Before we left we prayed with the family, and sweet Darlene thanked our Heavenly Father for sending the missionaries so that she could be baptized.  Simply a miracle.  And we were officially invited to her Birthday party, so what more could we ask for?

Sunday was a miracle all on its own.  The whole relief society room was full!  Which is saying something, compared to the first Sunday with 9 people at it.  Erica couldn't come because she went to New York for the weekend, but we had so many others.  Five less active families came, including the Chavez family, and we had two investigators.  One who just showed up (we are teaching him on Saturday) and Ceasar, who the Elders have been teaching!  I was so so so happy to see that little room full.  We have been working with the Relief society, just helping them figure out how to run it, and everyone has really pulled together.  We are having a noche de hogar (fhe) this Saturday!  It was just the best ever.  

So last week I was really struggling with speaking the Espanol.  I was feeling really disheartened and silly every time I tired to talk.  But I realized how silly that was and started to pray for confidence in the gift of tongues that I knew I already had, duh.  And what a difference it has made.  The past three days I have been talking to everyone, seriously everyone.  I am still astonished every time.  Of coarse its no where near perfect, but I just try really hard and its almost like people think its endearing.  Its really working for me.  I love prayer.  It works.  

I don't know if I have told you much about my companions, but seriously I couldn't ask for better companions.  My trainer is Hna. George.  She is such a hard worker, and she knows what is important.  She is really good at getting to know people, and she has the gift to just love everyone.  She is also really inspiring, helps us get through the days, and have fun doing it.  Hna Olsen is also the best ever.  I am really sad that she is a visa waiter, but Argentina is lucky to have her!  She is the girl version of Jack Black, needless to say we laugh constantly.  She also knows the scriptures better than probably anyone ever.  She is really smart and speaks spanish like a champ.  The three of us get along swimmingly.  

This week I have learned a lot about patience.  That is something that is really hard for me.  But being on my mission, everything just slows down, and alot of things are out of my control.  It has been hard to just let go.  But the way I see it is that Hermana Myer can do anything.  Things that were hard for Riley to do, just don't seem as hard for Hermana Myer.  So it should be interesting to see what happens when the two of them meet again, but that won't happen for ages, so I'm not going to worry about that. 

 We are really starting to get into the swing of missionary life, which is just the best!  I love this gospel, I love being a missionary, and mostly I love spanish.  I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father, and for the people he is preparing.  I love you all very much.  

xoxo, Hermana Myer